Presentations

Presentation
Opening Ceremonies / Hall of Fame / Anniversary Dance Cheryl Johns, FALU, FLMI, CLU®, ACS
Jack Andraka - A Teen Innovator's Story Jack Andraka was just a fifteen-year old Maryland high school sophomore when he invented an inexpensive early detection test for pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancers. After a close family friend died of pancreatic cancer, Andraka (then a ninth grader) became interested in finding a better early- detection diagnostic test. He learned that the lack of a rapid, low-cost early screening method contributed to the poor survival rate among individuals with pancreatic cancer. After thinking further about the problem, he came up with a plan and a budget to put his ideas in motion. At the age of fifteen, he garnered international attention for his breakthrough—a three-cent paper strip capable of detecting early stages of pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancers. Still a teenager, Andraka’s groundbreaking results have earned him international recognition, most notably a 2014 Jefferson Award, the nation’s most prestigious public service award, 1st place winner in the 2014 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a 2014 National Geographic Explorer grant, the 2012 Intel ISEF Gordon Moore Award, the 2012 Smithsonian American Ingenuity Youth Award, Advocate Magazine’s 40 under 40 award, and he’s also the 2014 State of Maryland winner of the Stockholm Water Prize.
FALU Presentations ALU/AHOU/CIU
Disrupt or Die: *Reinvention in an Ever-Changing World* Anat Baron Anat Baron is currently the Founder and CEO of StashWall, a technology startup that provides one place for curating and organizing people’s information, memories, and belongings. While at the helm of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Baron helped grow the company into a $200 million juggernaut within three years, creating a brand new category in the ultra-competitive beverage alcohol industry. Amazingly, she succeeded at Mike’s despite her allergy to alcohol. Technology is transforming the status quo by enabling new business models and in turn, leveling the playing field. Coupled with consumers’ increasing demands for authenticity and transparency, this means that the winners in every category will need to successfully re-invent their businesses in order to survive and thrive in the new economy. Anat Baron will discuss the huge opportunity ahead by using real life examples and strategies as we race towards 2020 and beyond.
At the Heart of the Echocardiogram Charlotte A. Lee, MD, FLMI, DBIM Almost all cardiac records received today in underwriting shops include one or more echocardiograms for underwriters to review and evaluate. This presentation will include an explanation on the basis of echocardiography. Details revealing how to “interpret the interpretations” provided on echocardiograms will be covered for the experienced underwriter.
The Ongoing Pain Saga: Underwriting Chronic Pain, Opioids, Marijuana and More Marianne Cummings, MD, BSc(Pharm), MSc, DBIM, FALU Pain, one of the most common complaints in modern medicine, is associated with a wide range of disease, injury and is sometimes considered a disease itself. Millions suffer from chronic pain of varying severity and may be subject to treatments with their own inherent risks. An underwriting approach to chronic pain and risks associated with various treatments, including opioid analgesics and medical marijuana, will be discussed.
Bring the Magic of Automation to Full Underwriting Roger Tafoya Darlene Robertson Experienced leaders in innovation will discuss varying approaches on how to separate fantasy from reality in implementing underwriting rules engines: successes and failures; data tools that are shelf-ready vs. ones that are not; and best practices for writing rules.
Mood Disorders – How Are You Feeling? Robert Coates, MD We will discuss mood disorders: classification, DSM-5 definitions, difficulties in underwriting mood disorders, cause of increased mortality risk in mood disorders and clues to help assess mortality risk in mood disorder cases with an emphasis on suicide.
An ALU Survey: Automated Underwriting and the Evolving Underwriter Role Kristin Ringland, FALU, FLMI In this session, the speaker will provide detailed results of the ALU survey completed in 2016 on Automated Underwriting. The survey also poses the question: “How will automated underwriting change the underwriters role?” Results include: new training, new skills required for entry level underwriters or managers and how the chief underwriter roll will change. Find out what the survey says!
The Ongoing Pain Saga: Underwriting Chronic Pain, Opioids, Marijuana and More (repeat) Marianne Cummings, MD, BSc(Pharm), MSc, DBIM, FALU Pain, one of the most common complaints in modern medicine, is associated with a wide range of disease, injury and is sometimes considered a disease itself. Millions suffer from chronic pain of varying severity and may be subject to treatments with their own inherent risks. An underwriting approach to chronic pain and risks associated with various treatments, including opioid analgesics and medical marijuana, will be discussed.
Mortality Trends with Alzheimer’s Disease Brian Ivanovic, MD Alzheimer’s disease is an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. This session will explore various AD issues, including how imaging biomarkers can be used for early diagnosis and progression monitoring of AD, the effect of current therapies on AD incidence and death rates, challenges with quantifying AD death rate trends and how these rates might be expected to change with future treatments.
Financial Underwriting from Beginning to End Mike Sprengel, CPA, FLMI In this session, Mike will cover a wide variety of financial underwriting topics ranging from juvenile coverage to estate planning. Some discussion around how to underwrite when dynasty trusts are involved, business valuation concepts, and a closer look at a ‘simple’ income replacement coverage case will be highlighted. Mike hopes to put fun back into “Funancial Underwriting”.
Medical Testing for the Elderly and Aging Elaine Szewc, RN, BS, AALU, ALMI A look at current and future risk assessment tools used to underwrite and evaluate the elderly risk. In this session we will take a look at what is working well, what’s not and what future considerations should be contemplated.
Financial Underwriting from Beginning to End (repeat) Mike Sprengel, CPA, FLMI In this session, Mike will cover a wide variety of financial underwriting topics ranging from juvenile coverage to estate planning. Some discussion around how to underwrite when dynasty trusts are involved, business valuation concepts, and a closer look at a ‘simple’ income replacement coverage case will be highlighted. Mike hopes to put fun back into “Funancial Underwriting”.
Hepatitis C: Now You “C” It, Now You Don’t Katrina Turner, MD Hepatitis C is an infection caused by the hepatitis C virus that attacks the liver and leads to inflammation. It is a worldwide problem and is a major cause of both acute and chronic hepatitis. Newer treatments in hepatitis C have significantly improved the morbidity and mortality of this condition, which impacts underwriting. We will review the epidemiology, stages and complications, testing, treatments, and morbidity & mortality of this condition.
Shades of Anemia Susan Stegman, MD You’ve heard of 50 Shades of Grey...well get ready for 50 shades of Anemia! What is anemia, how do we underwrite for it, and what are the long term effects? We will cover all shades of anemia from iron deficiency anemia, pernicious anemia to anemias like thalassemia, mixed anemias, and myelodysplastic syndrome. We will conclude with case clinics which will test your anemia aptitude. You won’t want to miss this very informative talk on a subject that is often challenging and infrequently discussed.
HIV: Ready or Not? Jean-Marc Fix, FSA, MAAA John White, III, MD, MBA, FLMI The life expectancy for HIV positive individuals continues to improve. There is a growing set of evidence that points to certain subsets of HIV positive applicants being insurable on some basis. This session will explore the literature and research in HIV mortality. Discussed will be the best and worst risk classifications of those with HIV, including a case based discussion and Q&A. Attendees will be left with the question: What conclusions can we draw?
Putting Life Back into Life Insurance Gonzalo Garcia, CLU Suzanne Haviland, CLU, ChFC, FALU When people think about life insurance, they think of death…their own death. This presentation will discuss how long term care, chronic illness riders and other living benefits are changing the traditional view of life insurance. We will discuss how the evolution of accelerating death benefits for the insured during their lifetime is providing opportunities for income and retirement planning as well as the preservation of wealth for legacy purposes. We will also discuss the challenges and opportunities around underwriting mortality and morbidity in one product.
Help Wanted – Underwriting: Creative thinkers need only apply Marvin Jones, LLIF, ALMI, ACS Help Wanted: Creative thinker with outgoing personality and positive attitude to make a difference in people’s everyday lives and contribute to our company’s financial success...Customer Service Skills essential… If you saw this job advertisement, would it catch your eye? “Wait a minute, you might be thinking. What does creativity and customer service skills have to do with underwriting?” The answer is simple. Companies today are looking for new ways to attract, retain and satisfy customers by making customer service their top priority. To reach this goal, companies need resourceful people who can be creative, flexible and customer focused. This session will look at the role that customer service plays in the life of an underwriter. Positive interactions with internal and external customers are essential for success in this fast paced world. We will explore the concepts and skills that serve as a foundation for providing exceptional customer service and we will discuss the expectations of customers and how to communicate and interact with them. Whether you are new to underwriting or an experienced professional, this session will help to improve and strengthen your customer relationships.
Genetics: Discover the Magic and Mystery of DNA – It Is All in the Genes! William Rooney, MD Amazing discoveries and tremendous opportunities in medicine have emerged as the structure of DNA has recently been identified. Get to know how the field of genetics is changing clinical medicine, challenging both physicians and patients and providing an opportunity to radically alter mortality for individuals.
Underwriting’s Role in Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Fraud Compliance Vicki Landon, CAMS, CAMS-Audit, FLMI, CFCS Gina Byrne Miller Life insurance companies are required to comply with AML regulations in order to assist in preventing criminal use of the US financial system—specifically to prevent the company from being used to facilitate money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. Underwriters play a key role in this effort by spotting potential criminals and fraudulent activity, illicit funds and questionable use of life and annuity products at the earliest stage of the insurance process. This session explains how criminals use the insurance system to launder money, how underwriters help protect the company from criminal use and a discussion of current trends in these types of financial crimes.
Underwriting and Credit Elements: Do You Buy It On Credit? Sean Conrad, FSA, MAAA, FIA, CFA Derek Kueker, FSA, MAAA This presentation will discuss current and future applications of new data sources such as Credit and other FCRA compliant information.
The Quest for Immortality: Can we cure aging in our lifetime? Joseph Cleaver, MD The science of optimizing longevity has gained enormous interest and momentum in the last few decades. The objective of this presentation is to review the facts and theories of why we age and the latest cutting edge technology that treats aging as a chronic illness in a continuum to achieving immortality
Hodgkin Lymphoma: The Short and Long Story John E. Kirkpatrick, MA, MD, DBIM Hodgkins Disease (Lymphoma) is a type of cancer that starts in white blood cells. An overview of Hodgkin Lymphoma with an emphasis on implications for life expectancy will be presented.
Through Thick and Thin … A Look at Athletic Heart Syndrome and Cardiomyopathies Valerie R. Kaufman, MD This presentation will discuss echocardiographic, clinical features and mortality implications of various cardiomyopathies, ventricular non-compaction and the athlete’s heart syndrome
Late Effects and Mortality Risk in Survivors of Childhood Cancer Richard Knee, MD This session will review the most common childhood cancers, the treatments, survival and health effects that can occur in adulthood as a result of both the cancer and treatment. Dr. Knee will primarily discuss through the perspective of life insurance underwriting with attention to what should be done to screen the at risk population, overall mortality risks and suggestions on how to properly assess.
Comprehensive Underwriting of Peripheral Neuropathy: It Takes a Lot of Nerve Dave Rengachary, MD This presentation will discuss the various factors associated with underwriting neuropathies, including underlying conditions and outcomes. Be prepared to ask questions and discuss cases during this nerve tingling session.
Hemochromatosis: Being An “Iron Man” Carries Risk! Gina C Guzman, MD, DBIM, FALU, FLMI This presentation provides an easy-to-understand approach to underwriting this disorder. It includes a general overview (definition, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment) followed by a case presentation which emphasizes the prognostic factors available in stratifying the risk assessment for hemochromatosis. Included also is an overview of the genetic testing interpretation involved with this disorder.
Challenges of Underwriting Small Face Amount Policies: Doing More with Less Dave Redpath, FALU, FLMI, CLU, ChFC Underwriters face consistent pressure to keep costs down and service times fast. They also have an increasing number of tools available to underwrite a case. How are we, and can we, use these tools effectively to underwrite smaller cases faster, cheaper and smarter?
Financial Underwriting: Do Our Guidelines Still Make Sense? Terri Getman, JD, CLU, ChFC, AEP Mike McFarland, FALU, FLMI Medical underwriting has changed significantly in the past decade but for most of the life insurance industry there has been little material change to our financial underwriting guidelines. This presentation will feature a dialog between an advanced marketing executive and an underwriting professional concerning some common uses of life insurance. It will plant some seeds of thought and provide ideas to consider for changes in financial underwriting guidelines. Ultimately the presentation will encourage you to answer the question, “Do my company’s financial guidelines still make sense?”
Drugs and Alcohol - The Landscape Robert Stout, Ph.D.
Fraud for Life – From the FBI to the Life Insurance Industry Dean C. Bryant
Bring the Magic of Automation to Full Underwriting Roger Tafoya Darlene Robertson
Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going With The Elderly Market – 1990s to Now Thomas Ashley, MD, FACP, DBIM This session will review the evolution of the older age market in the past 30 years. Both pricing and underwriting experienced challenges and introduced corrections will be discussed. The session will conclude with commercial insights from the Gen Re Elderly Underwriting Survey.
Rate the Applicant Not the Label: Separating Normal from Abnormal and Why Underwriters Matter Cliff Titcomb, MD A review of a variety of scenarios where a “positive” test result or diagnosis may or may not increase risk. Tips & tricks for separating what is really important from what can be ignored will be presented.
The Underwriter’s Role in a Data Rich World Jason Bowman, ACII, DMU(AMS) Andy Ferris, FSA, MAAA, CFA Susan Ghalili, FALU, FLMI, CLU The underwriting profession is experiencing a radical shift in focus as vast amounts of data become available to enhance and streamline the process. Underwriters are increasingly being involved in reviewing new data sources, supporting the deployment of rule engines, assessing predictive models and evaluating the impact of emerging approaches such as electronic health records and wearable technologies. In addition, the rise of analytics is enabling a fresh look at the assumptions that drive our business model. This session will explore the availability and use of data and how underwriters will need to adapt to take advantage of a data rich world.
Actuarial Insights – Cause of Death Trends, Mortality Improvement and the Middle Market Audrey Chervansky, FSA, MAAA Travis Short, FSA, MAAA This session offers a look into the world of actuaries and mortality data. As more companies focus on the middle market, it is increasingly important that we understand the real drivers of mortality and how these drivers should be reflected in our estimates going forward.
Taming the Big (Hairy) Data Beast: Taking Advantage of the Opportunities and Tackling the Challenges Karen Phelan, FLMI, AALU The universe of Big Data is vast, ever-changing and can be a beast to navigate. In many cases, you don’t know what you don’t know. But what do you need to know when you start to incorporate big data and predictive analytics into your underwriting process? Come and learn what key considerations and important nuances are critical to understand as you introduce or expand your use of Big Data in underwriting.
Where No One Has Gone Before … Underwriting in a Lean and Changing Environment Tom McCarthy, FALU, FLMI, CLU® Everett Kunzelman, FLMI, ACS Steve Stanley This session is a panel discussion of various underwriting topics relating to managing underwriting costs in a leaner and changing underwriting environment and how to lead underwriters through these changes. Topics will include: leveraging technology, data sources, emerging trends in medicine and developments in laboratory testing. Panelists have experience in both larger and smaller direct carriers and fraternals.
Business Session - Part 1 Cheryl Johns/Traci Davis
The Future of the Underwriting Profession Hank George The underwriting profession is at a critical juncture in its long history. The threats to our future will be examined and what we can do to preserve and enhance our profession will be reviewed. Hank George, FALU, President of Hank George, Inc., has been in life underwriting for 43 years. He worked for Northwestern Mutual, Manulife, Lincoln Re and ExamOne before attaining his freedom from corporate life in 2002. He has been active in the profession as founder of On the Risk and the International Underwriting Congress, as well as serving as a past president of HOLUA. Hank has a BA Honors degree in 20th Century European History from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is a rabid Cheesehead.
Business Session - Part 2 Traci Davis